| Unit | Dimensions | Frame | Weight capacity | Accessories | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PowerLine PPR200X Check Discounted Price | L:46" W:44" H:82" | 16 ga, square steel tubing | 600 lbs | Pull-up bar | Frame: 10 years Parts: 1 year |
A power rack (or power cage) is an excellent addition to the home gym of anyone who wants to undertake heavy lifting. They’re usually more affordable than Smith machines as most come without a barbell and a weight plates set, and they’re also slightly less versatile than Smith machines. However, with the right additions to a power rack, you can turn it into a pretty complete workout station.
One of the best rated and most affordable power racks that you can find at the moment is the PowerLine PPR200X from Body-Solid. This is a basic model, currently available for less than $350.
Technical Details and Specifications
- Assembled dimensions: 46L x 44W x 82H inches (117L x 112W x 208H cm)
- Assembled weight: 133 lbs (60.3 kg)
- Max. weight capacity: 600 lbs (272 kg)
- Warranty: Frame 10 years / Parts 1 year
Like any other power rack, the PowerLine PPR200X features a steel-made frame. To be more specific, it’s made of 16 gauge steel tubing, designed to withstand a maximum weight of 600 lbs (272 kg). At least a few users have reported that they’ve been using this power 
rack with weights greater than 500 lbs with no issues. However, when it comes to using a heavy bar, over 400 lbs, with the catch pegs on the outer edge, the frame may tip forward. This issue can be solved by adding more weight on the rear base of the rack, keeping a barbell with weight plates on onto the safety bars, or bolting the frame to the floor. Even though the bases don’t have holes for securing it to the ground, you can drill a few, in order to achieve maximum stability. The frame itself weighs 133 lbs (60 kg), and is stable enough on its own, if you use it accordingly, with the barbell in between the upright posts, and the catch bars attached on the inside, as shown in the attached photo here.
Overall, this weight training equipment is not extremely large, but sizeable enough to provide comfortable exercising to the tallest users. It has a footprint of 46″L x 44″W (117 x 112 cm), with a wide “walk-in” design, allowing the placement and use of various power benches. It’s 82″ (208 cm) tall, which means it will fit in a room with a 7′ (213 cm) ceiling, but it will be a very tight fit, and for various pull-up exercises, you might hit your head against the ceiling. Thus, it’s best to place it in a room with a higher ceiling. It can be also be used outdoors, but even though the paint on the frame is corrosion resistant, it will catch rust after a while. This is actually a weight training equipment to be used indoors.
The pull-up bar connects directly to the top tubes of the frame, and it’s secured by two bolts on each side. It’s a 1″ thick, solid steel bar, approx. 43″ (109 cm) long. It features two knurled grip areas, to prevent the slipping of the hands during pull-up or chin-ups. It’s situated at approx. 81 1/2″ (207 cm) from the ground. In all, it’s a standard straight bar, without the curved outer grips required for wide grip pull-ups. Also, in case you’re wondering, the frame is extremely solid and stable for pull-ups and chin-ups. Even if you weigh more than 250 lbs (113 kg), and perform weighted pull-ups with more than 50 lbs (22.6 kg) attached to yourself, there shouldn’t be any stability issues.
The vertical posts of the PowerLine Body-Solid Power Rack PPR200X feature 18 adjustment holes for the catch bars and safety, “saber” bars. The top hole is situated at approx. 68 1/2″ (174 cm) from the floor level, while the bottom hole is about 17″ (43 cm) above floor level. The holes are the same size front to back, so, in case you’re wondering, the catch bars can also be attached on the outside of the uprights. The safety sabers are 1″ thick steel, just like the pull-up bar. The distance between them is approx. 43″ (109 cm). This being said, the rack is meant to be used with 7′ standard Olympic weight bars. Even though a 6′ bar will still exceed the catch bars, there won’t be remaining too much clearance for weight plates.
Last but not least, the frame is coated with corrosion resistant silver paint. The safety sabers and catch bars may be either black or silver as well.
Available attachment options
This PowerLine Power Rack doesn’t include a barbell, weight plates and other accessories. The package basically includes the steel frame, the catch and safety bars, and the top pull-up bar. However, this power rack can be used with a variety of weight benches, as long as they 
don’t exceed a width of 42″ (106 cm). But most importantly, Body-Solid offers several accessories that can be mounted on this particular weight training equipment. Among them we can count:
Lat Attachment (part number PLA200X). Although this attachment is not exactly cheap, as it costs over $300 itself, it will actually add a lot of versatility to this power rack. It features a 7 pulley system, a bar with 1″ sleeves, and of course, a lat pull-down bar, for various exercises.
Blaster Ab Slings (part number AAB2) – to be attached to the pull-up bar, for the training of the core, and especially the abdominal muscles.
Chrome Olympic Standard Bar (part number OB86) – evidently a 7′ long bar, with 2″ sleeves.
PowerLine Flat Incline and Decline bench (part number PFID130X). Body-Solid actually sells various weight training benches, but this is the model recommended for this particular power rack. It offers 3 position settings for the seat, and 4 position settings for the backrest, also including a leg hold-down attachment.
Gym Weight Tree (part number GWT4). As it name suggests, this attachment can provide support for your weight plates, featuring two sets of “horns”, 1″ diameter thick, to fit both Standard and Olympic plates.
Assembly and Maintenance
First of all, this power rack is shipped in 3 boxes, a long one (cca 80″) for the upright posts, and two smaller ones (cca 47″ and 41″ long) for the other bars, sabers and catch pegs. Also, the total shipping weight is around 136 lbs. The rack is far from being difficult to put together. The whole task shouldn’t take more than 20 min. An assembly manual is supplied, providing all the instructions necessary. However, tools required for assembly are not supplied. You’ll be needing an adjustable wrench or a socket wrench size 3/4.
Maintenance doesn’t require much either. All you have to do for it is check the joints from time to time, to see if the bolts are still tight in their places.
The Pros
- Sturdy frame, with a max. weight capacity of 600 lbs (272 kg);
- 18 adjustment positions for the catch bars and safety bars;
- Works with various benches, as long as they don’t exceed a width of 42″ (106 cm);
- Various attachments available from Body-Solid, including a lat pull-down station, to use with Standard and Olympic plates;
- Easy to assemble;
- Basically no maintenance required;
- Excellent warranty.
The Cons 
- Designed only for Olympic standard bars; 6′ bars may be too short.
- Paint on the catch pegs and safety sabers will peel-off after a while. They can always be re-painted though.
Final Word
The PowerLine PPR200X is a basic power rack designed for use with Olympic bars and a variety of benches. It has a maximum weight capacity of 600 lbs (272 kg), great for users of all calibers, even pros. It’s solid, sturdy and stable, with a simple square design. Also, it offers 18 adjustment positions for the catch bars and safety bars, offering quite a bit of versatility for barbell exercises. All in all, it’s reliable power rack, currently available at an affordable price, an excellent addition to any home gym.